Reviews & Opinions

TONIGHT IT’S JAZZ

an opportunist when it comes to music
tonight it’s jazz
jazz it’s music, music is music

my old man was all about country music
used to drag me to barn-raisings
five-piece bands set up under carparks
or a tent, playing while everybody else was working

worst thing I ever saw happened in a bar
down Pittsburgh, near Carnegie-Mellon
place with Rebel Rebel on the jukebox
this guy Lester blocked on lyrics to Strawberry Fields
gave up, started over, blocked again
people were giggling

I shop a supermarket where I like their music
ballads mostly, alternative classics
soft rock, adult progressive
songs with pretty melodies and heartbeat rhythm, lyrics by the vocalist
probably a big influence on my poetry

speaking of poetry
I’m here for poetry, I hope you are
I love music, I hope you do too
the poetry it’s always poetry
tonight the music is jazz

FOR PHAROAH

on the great stage, the great stages
when the great players rise to blow their lovely noise
crying and shouting as if their lives depend upon their crying and shouting
and they do, not just their lives but our lives too
applause is never enough